Search

Abstract Background The Open Archive Initiative (OAI) refers to a movement started around the '90s to guarantee free access to scientific information by removing the barriers to research results, especially those related to the ever increasing journal subscription prices. This new paradigm has reshaped the scholarly communication system and is closely connected to the build up of institutional repositories (IRs) conceived to the benefit of scientists and research bodies as a means to keep possession of their own literary production. The IRs are high-value tools which permit authors to gain visibility by enabling rapid access to scientific material (not only publications) thus increasing impact (citation rate) and permitting a multidimensional assessment of research findings. Methods A survey was conducted in March 2010 to mainly explore the managing system in use for archiving the research finding adopted by the Italian Scientific Institutes for Research, Hospitalization and Health Care (IRCCS) of the oncology area within the Italian National Health Service (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale, SSN). They were asked to respond to a questionnaire intended to collect data about institutional archives, metadata formats and posting of full-text documents. The enquiry concerned also the perceived role of the institutional repository DSpace ISS, built up by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) and based on a XML scheme for encoding metadata. Such a repository aims at acting as a unique reference point for the biomedical information produced by the Italian research institutions. An in-depth analysis has also been performed on the collection of information material addressed to patients produced by the institutions surveyed. Results The survey respondents were 6 out of 9. The results reveal the use of different practices and standard among the institutions concerning: the type of documentation collected, the software adopted, the use and format of metadata and the conditions of accessibility to the IRs. Conclusions The Italian research institutions in the field of oncology are moving the first steps towards the philosophy of OA. The main effort should be the implementation of common procedures also in order to connect scientific publications to researchers curricula. In this framework, an important effort is represented by the project of ISS aimed to set a common interface able to allow migration of data from partner institutions to the OA compliant repository DSpace ISS.

Copyright of Experientia is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A comparative analysis of estuaries, lagoons and coastal ponds focusing on population differentiation, and community structure is necessary to correctly address the issue of brackish water biology. Althoughthe different biotopes all present similar features of environmentalunpredictability and the common presence of the hypohalobic contingent (artenminimum), they each have their own characteristics, due to the evolution of peculiar balances in their relation to the sea on theone hand and inland waters on the other. In addition to euryhaline species, locally adapted populations of stenohaline species typical ofmarine habitats, as well as some recently introduced species, are also found. These species have given rise to euryhaline populations, reaching their maximum development in an optimal site. This situation occurs between basins with essentially similar ecological features andprobably depends both on the different degree of adaptability of many species to a specific environmental parameter and the type of biocoenoses adjacent to the brackish basin. These populations possess genotypes allowing adaptation to brackish waters, which have resulted in the differentiation, through selection, of individuals capable of fine-grained perception of environmental unpredictability. Experimental works demonstrated the existence of genetically differentiated populations, or, ultimately, sibling species complexes, in several brackishspecies with broad geographical distribution and belonging to a widerange of taxonomic groups. The conceptions regarding the uniformity of brackish elements and the doubts concerning the existence of a specific brackish fauna come from the fact that attention generally focuses on species in the traditional meaning of the term, that is to sayat the macrosystematic level. Comparative analyses of very fine morpho-physiological changes and genetic analyses result in a rather different picture, leading to the conclusion that in brackish waters a given spec [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence has recently emerged on the influence of gender on the immune system. In this systematic review and meta-analysis of phase III randomized clinical trials (RCTs), we explored the impact of gender on survival in patients with advanced cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). We performed a comprehensive search of the literature updated to April 2018, including the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, and EMBASE. We extracted data on study characteristics and risk of bias in duplicate. Of 423 unique citations, 21 RCTs were included, inherently to 12,635 patients. Both males and females showed reduced risk of death associated with ICIs use (HR 0.73, p < 0.001 and HR 0.77, p < 0.001, respectively). Subgroup analyses by specific ICI showed similar OS in both genders for anti-PD-1/PDL-1. Anti-CTLA-4 use was associated with longer OS in men only (HR 0.77, p < 0.012), with the exception of melanoma (in women, HR 0.80, p = 0.006). PFS was longer in men than in women (HR 0.67, p < 0.001 and HR 0.77, p = 0.100, respectively). Conclusively, ICIs use was associated with more favorable outcomes in men, particularly for anti-CTLA-4 agents. In melanoma, not gender-related factors may influence the anti-tumor immune response evoked by ICIs.

Background: Malignant gliomas are the most common primary brain tumors in adults and challenging cancers for diagnosis and treatment. They remain a disease for which non-invasive, diagnostic and/or prognostic novel biomarkers are highly desirable. Altered microRNA (miRNA) profiles have been observed in tumor tissues and biological fluids. To date only a small set of circulating/serum miRNA is found to be differentially expressed in brain tumors compared to normal controls. Here a restricted signature of circulating/serum miRNA including miR-15b*,-23a, -99a, -125b, -133a, -150*, -197, -340, -497, -548b-5p and let-7c were investigated as potential non-invasive biomarkers in the diagnosis of glioma patients., Methods: Serum and tissues miRNAs expression in patients with brain cancers (n = 30) and healthy controls (n = 15) were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Relative expression was calculated using the comparative Ct method. Statistical significance (p ≤ 0,05) was determined using the Mann-Whitney rank sum and Fisher's exact test. Diagnostic accuracy of miRNAs in distinguishing glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) from lower grade cancer was assessed by the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. To validate the role of the identified miRNAs in cancer a comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science (Core Collection) and Scopus databases., Results: We observed a decrease of miR-497 and miR-125b serum levels depending on tumor stages with reduced level in GBM than lower grade tumors. The ROC curve analysis distinguishing GBM from lower grade cases yielded an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.87 (95 % confidence interval (CI) = 0.712-1) and of 0.75 (95 % CI = 0.533-0.967) for miR-497 and -125b, respectively. GBM patients are more likely to show a miR-497 and -125b down-regulation than the lower grade group (p = 0.002 and p = 0.024, respectively). These results were subsequently compared with evidence from 19 studies included in the final systematic review., Conclusions: Although multiple biomarkers are currently leveraged in the clinic to detect specific cancer types, no such standard blood biomolecules are used as yet in gliomas. Our data suggest that serum miR-497 and -125b could be a novel diagnostic markers with good perspectives for future clinical applications in patients with glioma.

Introduction: Systematic reviews are fundamental sources of knowledge on the state-of-the-art interventions for various clinical problems. One of the essential components in carrying out a systematic review is that of developing a comprehensive literature search., Materials and Methods: Three Cochrane systematic reviews published in 2012 were retrieved using the MeSH descriptor breast neoplasms/surgery, and analyzed with respect to the information sources used and the search strategies adopted. In March 2014, an update of one of the reviews retrieved was also considered in the study., Results: The number of databases queried for each review ranged between three and seven. All the reviews reported the search strategies adopted, however some only partially. All the reviews explicitly claimed that the searches applied no language restriction although sources such as the free database Lilacs (in Spanish and Portuguese) was not consulted., Conclusion: To improve the quality it is necessary to apply standards in carrying out systematic reviews (as laid down in the MECIR project). To meet these standards concerning literature searching, professional information retrieval specialist staff should be involved. The peer review committee in charge of evaluating the publication of a systematic review should also include specialists in information retrieval for assessing the quality of the literature search.

Background: The paper intends to help scientific authors to make the best choice of journals in which to publish, by describing and comparing journal features in the area of oncology. For this purpose, the authors identified impact factor (IF) ranking, cost options and copyright conditions offered to authors wishing to publish in full open access (OA), subscription-based or hybrid journals., Methods: Data referring to articles published in 2010 by three Italian research institutions (National Institute of Health - Rome (ISS), Regina Elena National Cancer Institute - Rome (IRE), National Cancer Institute - Milan (INT) in journals (78) managed according to different business models, all listed in the Journal Citation Reports, subject category Oncology, were collected and analysed. The journals surveyed were ranked according to IF, position in quartiles, publication charges, usage rights in published articles, self-archiving conditions in OAI-compliant repositories digital archives., Results: Almost half (34) the journals surveyed were included in the first quartile, thus revealing authors' preference for journals with a high IF. The prevalent journal business model was the hybrid formula (based on subscriptions but also offering a paid OA option) with 51 journals, followed by subscription-based only journals accounting for 22, while just 5 full OA journals were identified. In general, no relationship was found between IF and article publication charges, in terms of correspondence between more expensive fees and higher IF., Conclusions: The issue of OA journals as compared with traditional subscription-based journals is highly debated among stakeholders: library administrators facing financial restrictions, authors seeking to locate the best outlet for their research, publishers wishing to increase their revenues by offering journals with wider appeal. Against this background, factors such as the quest for alternatives to high-cost business models, investments in setting up institutional repositories hosting the published versions of articles and efforts to overcome copyright barriers and gain free access to scientific literature are all crucial.

This is the fourth in a series of articles exploring international trends in health science librarianship in four Southern European countries in the first decade of the 21st century. The invited authors are from Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal. Future issues will track trends in Latin America and Central Europe., (© 2012 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2012 Health Libraries Group.)

The international literature data report that good information and communication are fundamental components of a therapeutic process. They contribute to improve the patient-health care professional relationship, to facilitate doctor-patient relationships, therapeutic compliance and adherence, and to the informed consent in innovative clinical trials. We report the results of a multicentric national initiative that developed a 17-information-structure network: 16 Information Points located in the major state-funded certified cancer centers and general hospitals across Italy and a national Help-line at the nonprofit organization AIMaC (the Italian oncologic patients, families and friends association), and updated the already existing services with the aim to create the National Cancer Information Service (SION). The project is the result of a series of pilot and research projects funded by the Italian Ministry of Health. The Information Service model proposed is based on some fundamental elements: 1) human interaction with experienced operators, adequately trained in communication and information, complemented with 2) virtual interaction (Help line, Internet, blog, forum and social network); 3) informative material adequate for both scientific accuracy and communicative style; 4) adequate locations for appropriate positioning and privacy (adequate visibility); 5) appropriate advertising. First results coming from these initiatives contributed to introduce issues related to "Communication and Information to patients" as a "Public Health Instrument" to the National Cancer Plan approved by the Ministry of Health for the years 2010-2012.

Since no extensive conceptual framework has been developed on the issues of ecosystem service (ES) and service provider (SP) in the marine environment, we have made an attempt to apply these to the conservation and management of marine biodiversity. Within this context, an accurate individuation of SPs, namely the biological component of a given ecosystem that supports human activities is fundamental. SPs are the agents responsible for making the ES-based approach operational. The application of these concepts to the marine environment should be based on an model different to the terrestrial one. In the latter, the basic model envisages a matrix of a human-altered landscape with fragments of original biodiversity; conversely, in the marine environment the model provides fragments where human activities are carried out and the matrix is represented by the original biodiversity. We have identified three main classes of ES provision: in natural, disturbed and human-controlled environments. Economic valuation of marine ESs is an essential condition for making conservation strategies financially sustainable, as it may stimulate the perceived need for investing in protection and exploitation of marine resources., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In 2002 the Italian Ministry of Health promoted the institution of a network and a web portal, E-oncology (2), for the seven NHS research institutions specialising in oncology (Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico-IRCCS). One of the aims was to gather and provide information on tumoral pathologies to operators and the public. For an optimum organisation of a health web site it is necessary to comply with the standards internationally used. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has developed guidelines for accessibility and usability of the sites, implemented in Italy through governmental issues. Many international organisations adopt rules and codes of conduct to validate biomedical information and have organised quality portals such as NLM, OMNI, MEDCIRCLE, HON etc. Some terminological standards, such as the MESH thesaurus and UMLS, have been produced by the libraries for a correct management and an effective information retrieval, and are currently used by the most important biomedical web sites. The Dublin Core, metadata standard for the integration of information deriving from heterogeneous archives, has also been developed by the libraries. The easy access to information dims the complex architecture necessary for the construction of a web site. The contribution of different professionals is necessary to guarantee the production of quality medical/health web sites, among them librarians have always been involved with the management of knowledge and their skills are extremely valuable. Furthermore, the libraries' network is essential in order to guarantee universal access to health information, mostly still against payment, and to contribute to overcoming the 'digital divide' and 'second-level digital divide'.

The seagrass Posidonia oceanica plays a multifunctional role in the coastal area as an important and productive component of ecosystems in the Mediterranean Sea. We detected by RAPD analysis with two arbitrary primers genetic differences in P. oceanica collected from several sites in the Southern Mediterranean. By AMOVA analysis we observed a level of about 20% genetic difference among individuals within a population and 80% among populations. A common band of 200 bp was found in all the amplified samples. Cloning and sequencing analysis of this band revealed the presence of a simple tandem repeat sequence (minisatellite) that we called PoTR (Posidonia oceanica tandem repeat). Finally, the ability of PoTR to detect genetic variability in P. oceanica genome was demonstrated by the presence of amplification products of different lengths utilizing primers internal to this sequence.

A survey was conducted among specialized users in order to establish the level of knowledge and diffusion of four informative tools: Cancerlit, PDQ, Clinprot, Cancergram. A questionnaire was distributed to 975 graduate researchers working in four national cancer research institutes in the north (2), center (1) and south (1) of Italy, as well as to the students of the Postgraduate School of Oncology (Oncology 2nd) of the "La Sapienza" University of Rome. Respondents were 486 (49.8%): only 167 (34.4%) declared to know Cancerlit, 56 (11.5%) PDQ, 10 (2%) Clinprot and 39 (8%) Cancergrams. Moreover, there is a time gap of nearly 6 years between the availability on-line of these tools and the information of its existence by the users. Most of the respondents were in favor of inserting courses on the use of information tools into the University curriculum and of training in the use of the tools.

An objective evaluation of a scientific activity is required to reduce partialities and mistakes, thus allowing a more reliable judgement. Therefore, the role of scientific literature, as the most direct expression of research activity, is increasing; for a better evaluation, bibliometric and bibliographic indicators have been developed. Bibliometric indicators are based upon citation, which is a meter of the use the international scientific community makes of research results, once published. Besides the number of publications, the most important bibliometric indicators are the number of citations, the impact factor, the immediacy index, the half-life index. Bibliographic indicators are the reference of the journal or the paper by a given author, in important bibliographies of international influence. Being the evaluation by means of these indicators extremely complex, there is a need for a homogeneous regulation of the activity, at an institutional level. The presence of experts in scientometrics is also advisable, since they can provide evaluation profiles on demand, with the support of modern documentation centres. In sum, after describing bibliometric and bibliographic indicators, emphasis is put on their utility and the role they play in support of experts' judgement for a more precise evaluation of a scientific activity.

A typical nucleosomal pattern is not detected by electrophoretic analysis of sea urchin mature egg chromatin, following digestion with micrococcal nuclease. Moreover, at least 80% of the egg nuclear DNA is resistant to nuclease attack. These unusual features of unfertilized egg chromatin, not shared by oocytes or sperms, are discussed in view of the unique properties and fate of mature female germ cells.

Nuclei of seminiferous epithelial cells (SEC) of rat testis exhibit protease activity when assayed with fluorogenic peptides or with [3H]histones. At pH 8 the nuclear protease rapidly hydrolyzes BOC-Val-Pro-Arg-7-Amino-4-Methyl Coumarin (BVPAC) and Glu-Gly-Arg-7-Amino-4-Methyl Coumarin (GGAC), but this enzyme does not hydrolyze CBZ-Arg-7-Amino-4-Methyl Coumarin (CAC) or Glu-Phe-7-Amino-4-Methyl Coumarin (GPC). The cytoplasm of these cells hydrolyzes each of these substrates. The protease activity versus BVPAC can be extracted from cytoplasm and nuclei with 0.1 M H2SO4. The extracted activity from cytoplasm is lost during storage for 5 days at either pH 3 or pH 8 at -25 degrees, but the activity extracted from nuclei is maintained under these conditions. The nuclear protease activity is found in SEC of young rats prior to the appearance of acrosin.

We have examined the kinetics of nuclease digestion of chromatin from committed and uncommitted cells in experiments where the nuclei are mixed and co-digested. Cultures of the sea urchin, Arbacia punctulata, were grown to the 16-cell stage in either [3H]thymidine or [14C]thymidine and the macromere, mesomere, and micromere cell types separated. After isolation, sets of nuclei with two different blastomere types (each having different radionucleotide tagging) were mixed and co-digested with micrococcal nuclease or DNase. I. The extent of digestion was monitored by solubility in 5% perchloric acid (PCA). We find no significant differences in initial digestion rates or limit digests among the different cell types when co-digested with either nuclease. Differences in nuclease sensitivity observed when nuclei are digested separately are abolished when nuclei are probed in a mixing experiment. The results support the hypothesis that phenotypic differences in digestibility among different cell types in vitro reflect differences in chromatin-condensing factors which can diffuse between nuclei.

Sea urchin oocytes were incubated in vitro with [14C]lysine. Tubulin synthesis was demonstrated by gel filtration and/or electrophoresis of the colchicine-tubulin complex precipitated by vinblastine. The incorporation of [14C]lysine into tubulin represented about 12% of the incorporation into the total proteins at vitellogenesis.

Basic proteins were extracted from sea urchin oocytes previously incubated with 3H-lysine and then were analyzed by electrophoresis. A very radioactive band, which showed the same mobility as histone F2b, was analyzed for its amino acid composition. The results show an identity between this protein and histones F2b. In addition, an improved method of isolating large amounts of sea urchin oocytes is described.